(The following article was posted on the Atlanta Daily Business News website on December 6.)

ATLANTA -- With rail industry projections pointing to the need for thousands of new employees over the next few years, CSX Transportation has consolidated in Atlanta all of its training for front-line employees who operate trains and maintain railroad assets and infrastructure.

The $8 million consolidated training center is a multi-disciplinary facility for students who are training to be locomotive engineers and conductors, track and signal technicians, mechanics, and yard managers. Conductor training is expected to begin in January 2005 with other subjects offered by midyear. More than 3,500 students are expected to visit the facility annually when fully operational.

"The railroad industry, including CSX Transportation, is expected to need thousands of new employees each year for the next five to seven years to offset retiring front-line employees," said Wayne Richards, assistant vice president-contract staffing and training. "Our Atlanta facility will be a key part of our overall plan to recruit, train and qualify employees for fulfilling careers in our company."

Located adjacent to CSXT's Tilford Yard rail classification facility, the training center will provide state-of-the-art equipment, including locomotive simulators, and the opportunity to apply classroom learning in a hands-on railroad operating environment. Some management training will also take place.

Advantages of the consolidated center include:

* Reduced time to complete training and begin actual work, as well as close proximity to ongoing railroad operations.

* Enhanced opportunities for students specializing in one craft to get exposure to other, related disciplines.

"In addition to technical training, our facility will emphasize CSXT's core value of safety in every aspect of railroad operations," Richards said. "In this way, we can provide students with the technical background and the safety consciousness necessary to be successful and safe in their careers."

CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX) , based in Jacksonville, Fla., owns the largest rail network in the eastern United States. CSX and its 34,000 employees provide rail transportation services over a 23,000 route-mile network in 23 states, the District of Columbia and two Canadian provinces. CSX Corporation also provides intermodal and global container terminal operations through other subsidiaries.